


Wax Flowers

by Missy



Category: Laverne & Shirley (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, City Hall, F/M, Hopeful Ending, Shotgun Wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:08:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27099373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missy/pseuds/Missy
Summary: Laverne says yes, but she still has a few misgivings.
Relationships: Laverne DeFazio/Lenny Kosnowski
Comments: 4
Kudos: 3





	Wax Flowers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GoAskValis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoAskValis/gifts).



> Alter-canon for "Look before You Leap!"
> 
> This was a story requested by the giftee! Hope it's enjoyed!

Laverne re-crossed her legs while she still could. Her nylons scraped against each other, making way too much noise, and her scuffed heels scraped the parquet floor. 

She glanced sideways at the man who was squinting at their marriage license, filling it with his loping scrawl, his expression intense and his tongue tucked between his teeth. She squeezed her black clutch. It went with her mama’s wedding dress, which had been brought down to City Hall by her father, who was ready to spit bullets and yet smiled when he brought the old faded box with its rose petal sprinkled interior. Shirley – between sobs – had helped Laverne into it. Every eyelet hook, every zipper, every single fastener – had latched behind Laverne’s body. It fit her snugly.

Just snugly enough. She double-checked her stomach to make sure that she wasn’t showing for the millionth time. All right. She looked like your average bride – just the sort that threw up every morning instead of someone who glowed with virginal innocence. Not that she could really remember what her ‘honeymoon’ was like.

For the millionth time she looked back at Lenny, wearing his grey suit with the sparkly hankie and spats with diamond-printed orange and purple socks as he sat seriously beside her. He looked – well, grown-up. A lot more grown-up since he’d come to her apartment and offered to become her husband, without even a ring to his name. Laverne felt at ease with him, which she supposed was a healthy thing for a happy marriage. “Are you really sure you wanna do this?”’

“Y’know, Squig asked me that question,” Lenny said. Laverne gave him a sideways grin and then rested her hand against the fold of his elbow. He was wearing his best suit, the one he’d gotten out of the church donation box last Christmas, the one with the big ink stain on the inner lining that looked just fine when you wore it right-side-out. “You’d think I was getting married ‘cause I’m…”

She poked him in the side. “…Hey, you said you weren’t gonna say that one out loud.” 

He shrugged. “Hey, it’s true but that ain’t a reason to be ashamed of it. You ain’t gonna go through all of this alone and in shame, and I ain’t going to let you suffer for one second.”

She smiled. He was a great friend. A trustworthy guy. She really should’ve gone to the party with him.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her best friend arrive with Squiggy and Carmine bookending her petite body, the former wearing a lime green suit with a bright red shirt, and Carmine not having bothered to fancy himself up in a pair of sweats. Shirley was in tears and instantly became Laverne’s top priority – she got up and rushed right over to her. 

“Are you okay, Shirl?” Laverne asked. 

Shirley’s response was a melodramatic sob. Laverne cradled her best friend against her with a sigh, rubbing her back.

“Wouldya relax here? You’re making me feel like I’m going to my execution instead of my wedding!”

“I’d rather you’d be executed!” Shirley blurted out, then immediately winced. “I’m so sorry. I’m afraid this is making me a little hysterical.”

“So? Have a Bromo,” Squiggy said. He tugged at his lapels and tried to look decent and upright in his tuxedo. Someone had stuck a chrysanthemum into his boutonniere, and he looked like the world’s most demented flower boy.

“I don’t mean dyspeptically!” Shirley yelled.

“Would everyone pipe down?” Laverne asked. “I’m scared enough without you guys making everything weirder.” 

“Laverne,” Shirley said calmly. “If you’re absolutely certain you don’t want to go through with this, I can tell Carmine and we can…”

Laverne turned from Shirley and looked down the long hallway where the judge who would marry her sat. Outside the chamber, Lenny had found a group of little kids who were waiting with their parents – the appointment before theirs, likely. Probably an adoption case, she guessed. He was playing jacks with them – laughing as he lost, enjoying the simple company of them. 

Suddenly, the future came to her in a wave of glorious serenity. She could picture Lenny playing games with her kid – with their kids, someday –with that well of inextinguishable kindness and sweetness always guiding their growth and lighting the way. Suddenly she knew she was making the right choice. It would never be easy with him – he was too emotional, too afraid of being left behind, too afraid of being lost and forgotten - but he would be such a good dad. He was already a good friend – and they already had so much in common.

And he wasn’t bad at kissing – which they’d done, frantically, as she’d taught him how to touch her without pawing at her overly-sensitive breasts. They were starting to dig toward the center of what would be a perfectly sexy and happy relationship. She couldn’t force goosebumps but goosebumps could be earned.

“Whatt’re you worried about? She’s been like that all morning,” Squiggy said. “It’s OK, Shirl. So what? So Lenny’s gonna do it with Laverne a little bit while they wait for the kid to get here…” She twisted his arm behind him and Carmine had to pry Shirley off of him. “I NEED THAT FOR PLEASURE PURPOSES!” he shouted.

Laverne rolled her eyes and pulled them apart. “Squig, go get my pop out of the men’s room and get him ready. Shirl – how do I look? Did you bring the flowers?”

“They’re with Squiggy’s Uncle Elliott. He wanted to dip them all in wax,” she declared.

“Waxed flowers? Is he crazy? They’ll melt all over my dress.”

“He’s Squiggy’s Uncle,” Shirley pointed out.

“Right,” Laverne groaned. Her best friend fussed over her and carefully rearranged her hair, her veil, her dress. “How do I look, huh?”

“Beautiful!” Shirley said. “Even though you’re wasting it on a philistine.”

“Hey, “ Lenny said. “I’m Catholic just like Laverne!”

“That’s not what it…” Shirley sighed deeply. “Are you sure you want this!?”

“Yeah. I love Lenny…in my way.” Laverne realized that she didn’t – hadn’t – hesitated to say so for even a second. It was already a better union than what she’d almost had with Sal.

Beside her, Lenny made a comforting sound. She heard her Pop fuss behind her as he rested a hand on her shoulder, then shot Lenny A Look – her pop would be the biggest mountain they had to climb after the ceremony was over. Uncle Elliott arrived with the flowers, and they felt real, soft-petaled, in her hand.

Laverne took a deep breath as that family of kids went into the chamber, likely to get adopted. Part of her felt like she was being adopted into a new family too, right along with her unborn baby. 

She slid her hand through the loop made by Lenny’s arm, and waited to get hitched.


End file.
